In a groundbreaking legal battle that could redefine corporate accountability for climate change, Peruvian farmer and mountain guide Saul Luciano Lliuya has taken his fight to a German court. Lliuya claims that German energy giant RWE is partially responsible for the melting of glaciers near his hometown in the Peruvian Andes, which poses a severe flooding threat to his community.
Lliuya argues that RWE’s significant greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to global warming, accelerating the melting of the Palcaraju glacier above the city of Huaraz. He is seeking to hold the company liable for its proportionate share of the cost to prevent the potential disaster, which could devastate the lives and livelihoods of thousands of residents.
The court is set to examine scientific evidence linking human-induced climate change to the increased risk of catastrophic flooding in Peru. This case is one of the first to potentially establish a direct line of responsibility between a corporation’s emissions and the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities.
Reporter Dan Collyns, from Lima, highlights the global significance of this lawsuit, noting that if successful, it could empower other individuals and communities affected by climate change to seek justice from major polluters.
As climate change continues to disproportionately affect the Global South, the outcome of Lliuya’s case could mark a pivotal moment in the global fight for environmental justice.
